Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Day 219 - Meat

Today's first time parenting tip - Work meat into your baby's diet

Now that your baby is over seven months old, they've more than likely tried all the fruits and vegetables out there. So what's next? You can start giving them solid foods that they can gum, and you could also begin to introduce meats into their diet.

You've got two options when it comes to meat. You can go for the Gerber 3rd Foods, which combine meat and some other vegetables into one jar that you can feed your baby. Or, you can purchase a grinder to mash up the food you prepare for yourself.

If you go the jarred route, it's pretty straightforward. Make sure you try the same new meat for at least three to five days, and watch for any allergic reactions. You also want to pay attention to what veggies they're paired with, to make sure you aren't introducing two new things at once.

If you go the ground route, you should follow the same rules as above. Also make sure you grind up your baby's food before you add any salt or seasoning to your own food. Spices and salt could be harmful to your babies digestive system, or could give him unneccessary sodium. They don't really need it at this age, so they're no reason to include it.

And lastly, if you decide to go the vegetarian route, that's completely OK too. I don't know much about going vegan, so I'll do some research and come back with an tip that's geared toward giving your baby what he needs of veggies and fruits.